Tenerife families face shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists

Families in Tenerife are facing critical shortages of child and adolescent psychiatrists, particularly for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, depression, and anxiety. The lack of specialists has led to significant delays in medical appointments and follow-up care, leaving many vulnerable minors without necessary psychiatric support.

In the northern region of the island, a vacancy in psychiatric services has caused long wait times, with some patients waiting months for evaluations. Families report that urgent medical needs are often met with administrative instructions to file complaints rather than immediate clinical intervention. Some parents have noted that emergency room visits and hospital admissions have failed to provide adequate stabilization or accurate documentation of self-harm risks for children in crisis.